Scarborough
Scarborough is the easternmost of the six former municipalities which formed Metro Toronto.
It includes all if the City of Toronto east of Victoria Park Avenue, including the city's zoo and a stretch of Lake Ontario and Rouge River shoreline (as its southern and eastern borders, respectively).
Understand
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As late as the 1950s, "Scarborough Township" was largely rural. A piece of road from Oshawa to the current Highway 2A in Scarborough's east end had been built as freeway by 1939, but until 1956 this traffic poured onto Scarborough surface streets such as Kingston Road (at the time, the main motel strip for traffic from the east) or Danforth Avenue on its way across the Don River into Toronto.
As the city grew, suburbs gradually sprawled north through Don Mills, east into Scarborough and westward through Etobicoke and across the county line to Mississauga, largely following the freeways and an east-west subway line first opened in 1966. Toronto surpassed Montréal in size sometime after 1976, becoming Canada's largest city. As the easternmost point still within Metropolitan Toronto, the city of Scarborough was unofficially nicknamed "Scarberia" through much of the 1980s. In the 1990s Agincourt, a neighbourhood in the northern portion of Scarborough, was nicknamed "Asiancourt", as it had become a third Toronto Chinatown, accommodating an influx of immigrants arriving from Hong Kong before its 1997 retrocession to communist China.
Since then, huge amounts of suburbia have sprawled northward into Markham and eastward into Durham as the city expanded. The six former Toronto boroughs, from Scarborough to Etobicoke, were annexed to the City of Toronto in 1998.
Get in
All Toronto-bound traffic from points eastward (such as Montréal) enters the city by road and rail through Scarborough.
By car
The borough's major freeway is Ontario Highway 401, Canada's busiest highway. Twelve lanes of chaos are packed at peak hours with motorists from the eastern suburbs (such as Pickering and Oshawa in Durham) all flooding into the city at once.
The north-south Highway 404/Don Valley Parkway does not enter Scarborough, but runs just west of it. Exiting the 404/DVP onto any of the eastbound cross streets, from Steeles Avenue south to the lakeshore, should take you across Victoria Park Avenue into Scarborough.
By train
- VIA Rail stops at the Guildwood GO Transit station on Kingston Road on its way into Toronto from Ottawa and Montréal.
- GO Transit offers regular commuter train service to Toronto and throughout the GTA (from Oshawa to Hamilton or Niagara). Main train connections are at the Rouge Hill, Guildwood, Eglinton, and Scarborough stations. The Stouffville line offers limited rush hour service to and from downtown Toronto with stops at Milliken, Agincourt and Kennedy stations in Scarborough.
By bus
- Durham Region Transit, toll-free: +1 866-247-0055. DRT route 900 provides bus service to University of Toronto Scarborough and Centennial College Morningside campuses from Pickering. And DRT route 920 services Centennial College Progress campus and Scarborough Town Centre from Oshawa.
With the temporary closure of the Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal until about 2030, the following bus services have various on-street, curb-side stops near Scarborough Town Centre (mall) and near 1 Scarborough Centre Station. on Line 3 Scarborough:
- 2 GO Transit, 300 Borough Drive (west side of Scarborough Town Centre, mall entrance #7). GO Transit runs bus service from Hamilton and Oshawa to Scarborough.
- 3 Megabus (Coach Canada), 156 Borough Drive (stop in front of Scarborough Civic Centre Library entrance). All Montréal-Kingston-Toronto and Ottawa-Kingston-Toronto runs.
- 4 FlixBus, 55 Town Centre Court (stop in front of Saint Luis Bar & Grill). Service from Detroit, London, Chatham-Kent, Hamilton, Ottawa, Kingston, Peterborough, and Whitby.
- 5 Red Arrow, 55 Town Centre Court (stop in front of Saint Luis Bar & Grill), ☏ +1-800-232-1958, customerservice@redarrow.ca. Service from Kingston.
Get around
- The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) provides bus and subway service throughout Scarborough and all of Toronto. On subway Line 2 Bloor-Danforth, all stations from Victoria Park to Kennedy Station serve Scarborough.
- In 2023, Line 3 Scarborough/Scarborough RT was replaced by buses and will not reopen.
- Bicycle routes cover most of Scarborough as well as the rest of Toronto. You can rent a bike with Bike Share Toronto. With a day's worth of cycling, it is possible to cycle most of Scarborough.
See
- 1 Rosetta McClain Gardens, 5 Glen Everest Rd (Bus 12 from Victoria Park Stn (subway line 2) to Kingston Rd & Glen Everest Rd). Formal gardens with rose gardens and a rock fountain surrounded by a pergola, with spectacular views of Lake Ontario from the top of Scarborough Bluffs
- 2 Scarborough Historical Museum, Thomson Memorial Park, 1007 Brimley Rd (Bus 21 from Kennedy Station on subway line 2). W-Sa 11AM-5PM; Su 11AM-7PM. Scarborough Historical Museum has a small collection of rural 19th-century buildings. Free guided tours are offered during the hours of operation. Free entry.
- 3 Bluffer's Park and Beach (Scarborough Bluffs), 1 Brimley Rd S (Bus 12 or seasonal weekend/holiday bus 175 both from Kennedy Station). Located on a 14 km stretch along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. The highest cliff is 65 m (213 ft) and the views of the waves crashing along the shore are beautiful. Definitely a must see and there are no entry fees but parking is paid and very limited on summer weekends. Warning for those walking in: There is a steep road down to Bluffer's Park. Bus 175 eliminates the steep walk.
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- 4 Guild Park and Gardens (formerly known as Guildwood Park), 201 Guildwood Pkwy (Bus 116 from Kennedy Station on subway line 2 to the Guild Inn stop). The park has some beautiful gardens holding the pillars and facades of many elegant temple-like buildings that were unfortunately demolished to make way for glass and steel skyscrapers.
- 5 Osterhout Log Cabin, Guild Park (at the edge of a wooded area on the western side of the park). Augustus Jones, who surveyed Scarborough, built this cabin in 1795. This is the oldest building in Scarborough, and the second oldest in Toronto after Scadding Cottage in Exhibition Place in the Harbourfront district.
- 5 Osterhout Log Cabin, Guild Park (at the edge of a wooded area on the western side of the park). Augustus Jones, who surveyed Scarborough, built this cabin in 1795. This is the oldest building in Scarborough, and the second oldest in Toronto after Scadding Cottage in Exhibition Place in the Harbourfront district.
- 6 Milliken Park, 5555 Steeles Ave E (entrance at McCowan Rd; bus 53 from Finch Stn (subway line 1) or bus 129 from Scarborough Centre Stn). Beautiful park with a large pond, marshes, wildlife, flower beds, picnic tables, children's playground, WC. The pond is stocked with goldfish visible from the wharf near the main pavilion. In mid-May, the rolling hills are picturesque with yellow dandelions in bloom.
- 7 Toronto Zoo, Meadowvale Rd (Bus 85B from Don Mills Stn (subway line 4) or bus 86A from Kennedy Stn (subway line 2); north of Hwy 401 exit at Meadowvale Rd), ☏ +1 416-392-5929. Hours. Open daily except Christmas Day. Canada's premier zoo showcasing over 5,000 animals and 460 species, the Toronto Zoo is divided into seven zoogeographic regions (Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia, and the Canadian Domain) featuring both indoor and outdoor displays. It worth a visit in both the winter and summer months. Prices.
- Gorilla Rainforest. The Gorilla Rainforest is the world’s largest indoor habitat for the western lowland gorilla, and one of the zoo's most popular pavilions.
- 8 Doris McCarthy Gallery, 3rd Floor Bladen Wing, 1265 Military Trail (inside University of Toronto Scarborough campus), ☏ +1 416-287-7007. Tu F 11AM-4PM; W Th 11AM-7PM; Sa 11AM-5PM. Named after Canadian abstract landscape artist, the gallery features temporary exhibitions and hosts art events. Free.
Do
- 1 Rouge National Urban Park, Meadowvale Rd, ☏ +1 416-264-2020, rouge@pc.gc.ca. A federal park full of nature and wildlife, featuring a sandy beach, forests & rolling hills where visitors can hike, swim, canoe & fish.
- 2 Rouge Valley Conservation Centre, 1749 Meadowvale Rd (Bus 85B from Don Mills Stn (subway line 4) or bus 86A from Kennedy Stn (subway line 2)).
- 3 Rouge Beach, 195 Rouge Hills Dr (Bus 54, 54A, 54B to Starspray).
- 4 Thomson Memorial Park, 1005 Brimley Road (at Lawrence Avenue East; bus 21 to Britwell Ave), ☏ +1 416-338-4386. Nature paths through wooded ravine along the West Highland Creek, ball diamond, multipurpose sports field, tennis courts, picnic areas, off-leash dog area, wading pool and playground.
- 5 Morningside Park, Morningside Ave (bus 116A, 116C from Kennedy Stn (subway line 2); between Kingston Rd and Ellesmere Rd). Large park with a creek running through a forested area; trails, picnic areas, playgrounds & a splash pad.
Buy
Shopping malls
- 1 Agincourt Mall, 3850 Sheppard Ave E (at Kennedy Rd; bus 85 from Don Mills Station; north of Hwy 401), ☏ +1 647-346-1400. Suburban shopping mall.
- 2 Cedarbrae Mall, 3495 Lawrence Ave E (at Markham Rd; bus 54 from Eginton Stn or Lawrence East Stn; Hwy 401 southbound exit), ☏ +1 416-431-1550. Suburban shopping mall.
- 3 Malvern Town Centre, 31 Tapscott Rd (at Neilson Rd; bus 131 from Kennedy Stn to Blackwell Ave), ☏ +1 416-297-4786. Suburban shopping mall.
- 4 Morningside Crossing, 4218 Lawrence Ave E (at Morningside Ave; bus 54). Suburban shopping mall.
- 5 Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Dr (Hwy 401 exit at McCowan Rd southbound), ☏ +1 416-296-0296. M-F 10AM-9PM, Sa 9:30AM-7PM, Su 11AM-6PM. This large 2-level suburban mall offers big-box & brand-name shops & a cinema. Post office outlet within Shoppers Drug Mart.
- 6 Woodside Square, 1571 Sandhurst Cir (at McCowan Rd & Finch Ave; bus 129 from Scarborough Town Centre station), ☏ +1-416-298-2330. Suburban shopping mall with food court, bakeries, and supermarkets.
Shopping districts
- Kennedy Avenue from Lawrence Avenue East to Ellesmere Avenue is a commercial district featuring dozens of independent furniture, electronic, houseware and computer businesses that all share some of the best deals the city has to offer, together with a couple of large electronic chains. It is often very congested on weekends by automobile, and many merchants lack adequate parking, but it is within walking distance of the Scarborough RT and there is bus service from the Kennedy subway station on the Danforth line. This is not really a destination for tourists, and it's quite a drive from the city centre, but if you're in the area, and want to do some discount shopping, there may be something here to suit your needs.
Eat
- 1 Ted's Restaurant, 404 Old Kingston Rd (bus 86 from Kennedy Stn or Highland Creek exit on Highway 2A), ☏ +1 416-282-2204. Old-fashioned diner in Highland Creek. A bit of a historical site. $10-25.
- 2 St. Andrews Fish and Chips, 1589 Ellesmere Rd, ☏ +1 416-431-6574. Traditional 'fish and chips', and deep-fried Mars bars.
- 3 King Georges Arms, 2501 Victoria Park Ave, ☏ +1 416-492-8036. Known for having the best wings in Scarborough, King Georges Arms is also a pub and attraction for late night drinks. $11-25/person.
- 4 Real McCoy Burgers and Pizza (at Bellamy Rd N & Lawrence Ave E), ☏ +1 416-439-6804. M-Sa 10AM-1AM. This fast food restaurant with good pizza and burgers. It's a simple take-out restaurant with no seating environment and is open for late-night requirements. Under $25.
- 5 Perfect Chinese Restaurant (雅瓊海鮮酒家), 4386 Sheppard Ave E (at Brimley Ave; bus 21 from Scarborough Centre Stn or Kennedy Stn), ☏ +1 416-297-6100. 24 hours. Popular Chinese restaurant. Serves dim-sum at lunch, and a large selection of items at dinner. Open at all times. $40-60 for 4-8 people.
Drink
- 1 Olde Stone Cottage Pub, 3750 Kingston Rd, ☏ +1 416-265-7932, reservations@stonecottagepub.com. Daily noon-9PM.
- 2 Zak's Bar and Grill, 790 Military Trail (NW corner of Morningside Ave and Military Trail), ☏ +1 416-281-6959. M-Sa 11AM-2AM, Su 11AM-midnight. Ample seating with pool tables.
Sleep
- 1 Holiday Inn Express, 50 Estate Dr (south of Hwy 401 exit at Markham Rd), ☏ +1 416-439-9666. 3 star, with high-speed internet access, continental breakfast, fitness centre and business facilities.
- 2 Delta Toronto East, 2035 Kennedy Rd (north of Hwy 401 exit at Kennedy Rd), ☏ +1 416-299-1500, fax: +1 416-299-8959. Includes continental breakfast each morning, high speed wifi, cableTV with movies. 20,000² ft atrium houses a large swimming pool, saunas, whirlpool, exercise room and squash court.
Learn
Stay safe
High lake levels in 2017 have resulted in landslides along the Scarborough Bluffs. Thus, visitors are advised to stay away from top edge and lower base of the bluffs. Safe access to the water is provided at Bluffer's Park, Sylvan Park, Guild Park and Gardens, or East Point Park.
Connect
- 3 Scarborough Civic Centre Library, 156 Borough Dr, ☏ +1 416-396-3599. Large library with free Wi-Fi, computers, and other technology available.
- 4 Agincourt Library, 155 Bonis Ave (corner of Sheppard Ave and Kennedy Rd; bus 43 from Kennedy Stn, bus 85 from Sheppard-Yonge Stn), ☏ +1 416-396-8943. Medium-size library with free Wi-Fi and computer access.
Go next
- Markham has two attractive main streets.
| Routes through Scarborough |
| London ← North York ← | W  E |
→ Pickering → Kingston |
| Etobicoke ← East End ← | W  E |
→ END |
| Entertainment and Financial Districts ← East End ← | W  E |
→ Pickering → Oshawa |
| Whitchurch-Stouffville ← Markham ← | N  S |
→ East End → Entertainment and Financial Districts |